Ponte Del Diavolo |De Venom Natura |Season Of Mist

Release Date February 13^th, 2026
Format CD/Vinyl
Genre Blackened Post-Punk
Country Italy

Ponte Del Diavolo originally formed in Turin, Italy, forging a sound that fuses doom and black metal with new wave influences, a style they have dubbed blackened post-punk. The band features a distinct lineup with two bassists, Khrura Abro and Kratom, alongside guitarist Nerium, drummer Segale Cornuta, and vocalist Erba Del Diavolo. After releasing three EPs, they joined the Season Of Mist roster for their debut full-length, "Fire Blades From The Tomb." Following appearances at major festivals like Roadburn and Inferno, they have returned with their second album, "De Venom Natura."

The first thing hitting the speakers is the sheer mass of the low end. Having two bass players is often a gimmick, but here it serves a sonic necessity. The bottom end rumbles constantly, creating a suffocating foundation that allows the guitar to scream over the top. The production keeps things raw enough to maintain a dangerous edge while letting the instruments separate. It sounds like a garage band playing in a cathedral. The drums pound with a primitive energy, avoiding the plastic trigger sound plaguing so much modern metal.

Erba Del Diavolo delivers a vocal performance that veers between seduction and hysteria. She avoids standard black metal rasping in favor of dramatic, operatic wailing that sounds genuinely unhinged. This delivery matches the "blackened post-punk" tag perfectly, recalling the goth pioneers of the 80s but drenched in feedback and distortion. The cover of "In The Flat Field" by Bauhaus at the end of the album confirms exactly where their heads are at. They take that gothic blueprint and drag it through the mud.

The inclusion of brass instruments and synths adds a strange, ritualistic layer to the chaos. Tracks like "Delta-9 (161)" stretch out, using the extended runtime to build tension before exploding. The songwriting balances the slow, doom-laden riffs with faster, punk-influenced outbursts. It keeps the energy unpredictable. The music sounds dangerous and organic, like the band is playing live in the room and things could fall apart at any second.

"De Venom Natura" is a step up from their debut. It sounds darker, heavier, and more cohesive. The band has found a specific sound that belongs to them. The fusion of genres works because they commit to the darkness of both metal and goth equally. It is a loud, brash, and captivating listen that demands attention.

Score: 8.5

Ponte Del Diavolo:

Bandcamp: https://pontedeldiavolo666.bandcamp.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PontedelDiavolo/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pontedeldiavoloband/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@pontedeldiavolo3847

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4mAfr0B2wgIFbVBUAv9btD/

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/ponte-del-diavolo/1639072320

Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/artist/179497657

Tidal: https://tidal.com/artist/33773763

Rotting Christ |Aealo |Season Of Mist (Re-Recorded)

Release Date January 23^rd, 2026
Format CD/LP
Genre Black Metal
Country Greece

Few bands carry their homeland in their sound the way Rotting Christ do. Born in Athens in 1987 by Sakis Tolis and his brother Themis, the band grew from raw underground extremity into a defining force of Hellenic black metal. Over decades, albums and endless live rituals, Rotting Christ shaped a language built on ancient memory, pagan fire and a very Greek sense of tragedy. “Aealo” was always one of the clearest expressions of that vision, and bringing it back in re-recorded form is a deliberate move, not nostalgia.

This new version of “Aealo” hits harder and clearer than the 2010 take, without sanding down its teeth. The production is stronger and deeper, pushing the rhythms and melodies forward with authority. The ritual pulse of the song comes across more vividly now, and the Greek folk rooted themes cut through with sharper definition. The female lamentation choir stands taller in the mix, adding real emotional pressure instead of floating as background decoration. The result sounds more physical, more present, more punishing.

What still makes “Aealo” special is its war spirit. This is not heroic fantasy metal, it is about destruction, sacrifice and the ugly psychology of conflict. The title’s ancient Greek meaning, “I destroy” or “I thrash”, hangs over the whole track like a curse. The song marches forward with a ceremonial violence that reflects blood soaked history rather than romantic myth. Rotting Christ tap into something ancestral here, something rooted in memory and loss, and the re-recording sharpens that edge.

As a statement from the “Aealo” re-recorded release, this version reinforces why the original album mattered so much in the band’s catalog. Layers that once sat buried are now more exposed, and the melodic core of the song cuts deeper. This is Rotting Christ at a strong point, respectful to their past but brutal in delivery, sounding fully aware of why this material still matters in 2026.

Score: 8.5

Rotting Christ:

Official Website: https://www.rotting-christ.com/en/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rottingchristofficial/

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/rottingchristofficial/

Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/athanatoieste/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/RottingChristOfficia/

Bandcamp: https://rottingchristofficial.bandcamp.com/

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/rotting-christ/28441629/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7FhkwcO8Jd7BRWdllBpXBJ/

The Old Dead Tree |London Sessions |Season Of Mist

Release Date: 28 November 2025

Format: EP

Genre: Progressive/Gothic Metal

Country: France

The Old Dead Tree are one of the key names of French dark progressive metal. Active since the late 90s, the band built its reputation on emotionally heavy songwriting, a strong gothic rock undercurrent and the wide vocal range of Manuel Munoz. After a long absence and a full comeback album, they return with “London Sessions”, recorded at Abbey Road Studios and released through Season Of Mist.

“London Sessions” sits between past and present. The material keeps the familiar melancholic tone of The Old Dead Tree while sounding more restrained and reflective. The gothic side is prominent, with progressive elements shaping the structures and dynamics. The songs focus on atmosphere and emotional tension, guided mainly by vocal expression rather than excess detail. Manuel Munoz delivers a strong and expressive performance, moving naturally between darker and more melodic passages.

The production is clear and balanced, fitting the Abbey Road setting without sounding oversized. Guitars stay layered and textured, bass and drums provide a solid base, and the overall sound supports the introspective character of the EP. The cello guest appearance adds extra depth where needed, giving certain moments a more dramatic edge without taking attention away from the core songwriting.

As a short release, “London Sessions” feels concise and focused. The tracks are consistent in tone and direction, aiming for emotional impact instead of variety. Fans familiar with the band’s earlier work will recognize the melancholic spirit, while newer listeners will get a clear picture of their identity. The EP works well as a companion piece to their recent comeback era. “London Sessions” delivers solid songwriting, strong vocals and a coherent atmosphere. It is a mature release from a band that understands its musical language and applies it with care. For Katatonia and Anathema lovers it’s a great listening choice.

Score: 7.8

The Old Dead Tree:

https://linktr.ee/TODT

Danheim | Heimferd | Season Of Mist

Release Date: October 31^st, 2025

Format: Digital/CD/12" Vinyl

Genre: Nordic Folk, Ambient Neo Folk, Viking

Country: Denmark

Danheim is the long running creative project of Reidar Schæfer Olsen, a Copenhagen based producer who has devoted years to Nordic folk, dark ambient textures and Viking age storytelling. His music has reached millions, fueled by a mix of folklore, mythic imagination and a strong personal connection to Scandinavian heritage. With “Heimferd,” Olsen continues this path with full creative control, handling every part of the album from recording to artwork.

“Heimferd” works like a journey guided by instinct instead of strict narrative. Olsen moves through stormy tension, open atmospheric passages and grounded rhythmic sections with a steady hand. The album’s energy shifts constantly, sometimes circling primal percussion, sometimes drifting into wider and calmer spaces. It has an earthy tone that keeps everything anchored, even when the compositions wander into more meditative territory. There is a rawness running through the album that gives it character, without slipping into chaos.

The title track brings the overall concept into focus, using spacious structure and gradual build to create a kind of inward travel. “Stormdans” leans into pulse driven patterns, while “Yggdrasil II” widens the horizon again and gives the album a gentler closing arc. Olsen’s production style is consistent throughout, giving every track the same weathered, ancient texture, something that aligns naturally with Danheim’s established identity. The transitions behave with a restrained logic, no unnecessary detours, no sudden shifts for effect.

“Heimferd” is not trying to impress with scale, it works more like a steady exploration of instinct and tradition. The album stays rooted in the world Danheim has built over the past decade, touching familiar terrain while still opening small new paths in tone and atmosphere. It has the fingerprint of Olsen’s approach, shaped by his long experience in dark folk composition and his ongoing interest in the old North.

Score: 7.8

Rotten Sound | Mass Extinction | Season Of Mist

Release Date: 12 December 2025

Format: Digital/MCD/12" Vinyl

Genre: Grindcore

Country: Finland

Rotten Sound carry three decades of grindcore history on their shoulders, rising from the cold corners of Finland with a mission to grind harder, faster and louder. Formed in the early 90s, they grew from underground chaos into one of the most trusted names in extreme music. Albums like “Murderworks” and “Exit” set a high bar, and the band kept sharpening their edge through constant evolution. Vocalist Keijo Niinimaa’s harsh delivery, Mika Aalto’s cutting guitar work, and the crushing rhythm section have shaped a legacy that refuses to slow down. “Mass Extinction” comes as another firestorm from a band that treats short releases as concentrated blasts of truth.

“Mass Extinction” arrives as a tight salute to the band’s long run, charged with frustration toward the state of the world. Rotten Sound keeps their messages sharp, pushing through themes of polarization, exploitation and collapsing systems in a very straightforward way. The approach is simple, no padding, just harsh grindcore fired at full speed. The energy is instant, with Niinimaa throwing harsh warnings while the instruments storm forward with no hesitation. The atmosphere matches the subject matter, everything collapsing in fast motion.

The EP was born from the same sessions as “Apocalypse”, and it has that same stormy intensity. The production leans toward raw aggression without falling into chaos. Guitars bite, drums fire away, vocals tear through the noise. Every track hits fast and moves aside for the next wave. “Brave New World” stands out through its push for unity in a world that keeps splitting further apart. “Recycle”, “Idealist” and the title track keep the pressure high, each one hitting like a short hammer strike. Nothing drags, nothing stretches, it is straight grindcore presented without extra ornaments.

Rotten Sound remains a band that thrives under harsh conditions. Their music reflects the ugliness of modern society, but they channel it with precision and fire. “Mass Extinction” is a fierce addition to their catalog, short enough to work like a warning siren and heavy enough to sting long after it stops. It shows a band that understands exactly how to crush through noise and speak bluntly through extreme music. Their message is loud, the world is burning and time is running thin.

Score: 8.0

Rotten Sound:

Website: https://rottensound.com/

Bandcamp: http://rottensound.bandcamp.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RottenSoundOfficial

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rottensoundgrind/

Twitter (X): https://x.com/RottenSound

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4aglyvdJ7ApTfDC6aQ2LFf

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/rotten-sound/71466405

Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/artist/75185

Tidal: https://tidal.com/artist/3673376

1349 | Winter Mass | Season Of Mist

Release Date: 28 November 2025

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl

Genre: Black Metal

Country: Norway

1349 have been part of Norwegian black metal for many years, born from vocalist Ravn’s wish to revive the colder spirit of the early scene. Formed in 1997, the band built its identity on harsh sound, relentless live presence and a commitment to the raw edge that shaped the genre. With a lineup strengthened by Archaon, Seidemann, Frost and live member Destructhor, the band has toured heavily and left its mark on major festivals across Europe. Their new live release, “Winter Mass”, arrives as a document of where they stand after decades of fire and raw force.

“Winter Mass” captures the band in Oslo, in front of a crowd that knows every scream and riff by heart. The recording brings the group’s aggression to the front without softening it. Early staples like “Sculptor Of Flesh” storm forward with the same ferocity that first put the band on the map. Newer selections like “Striding The Chasm” tear through the venue with sharp precision, carried by Frost’s furious drumming and the twin guitars slicing through the mix. The set pulls from across the band’s history, giving the listener a full picture of what 1349 bringa on stage.

Ravn’s voice commands the show with a harsh tone that never slips. When he roars lines from “I Am Abomination”, he sounds like someone who has lived inside this music for years. The whole performance has the power of a band that knows its craft inside out. The pacing of the set moves with steady momentum, always pushing forward and never losing steam.

The production respects the chaos while keeping everything distinct enough to follow. Hugo Alvarstein’s work behind the console gives the recording strong impact without smoothing out the raw charge that defines 1349. You can sense the walls of Parkteatret shaking through every blast and tremolo run. “Winter Mass” stands as a strong live document from a band that continues to burn with intensity. It captures them in their home turf, fierce and unwavering, and delivers an hour of pure black metal fire.

Score: 8.0

Follow 1349:

Official Website: http://www.legion1349.com/

Bandcamp: http://1349som.bandcamp.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1349official

Instagram: http://instagram.com/1349official

Twitter: http://twitter.com/1349official

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/1349auralhellfire

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/150xbiJGnTy1tSBZ9EFKnT

Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/artist/10673

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/1349/79664050

TIDAL: https://tidal.com/browse/artist/22185

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/1349/e/B001LHI2SI/

Enthroned | Ashspawn | Season Of Mist

Release Date: 5 December 2025

Format: Digital, CD, LP

Genre: Black Metal

Country: Belgium

Formed in 1993 in Namur, Belgium, Enthroned have long stood as one of the most unrelenting names in European black metal. From the fiery chaos of their debut “Prophecies Of Pagan Fire” to the ritual darkness of “Cold Black Suns”, they’ve carved a career built on fury, discipline, and esoteric vision. Through death, upheaval, and transformation, the band’s founder Nornagest has kept Enthroned alive as a conduit for something cold, ancient, and merciless.

With “Ashspawn,” their twelfth studio album, Enthroned returns after six years of silence to deliver an experience that sounds like it was carved in stone and then struck by lightning. The music moves with precision and menace, guided by Menthor’s blistering percussion and T. Kaos’s relentless guitar work. Every riff is sharpened for impact, while Nornagest’s voice tears through the production like a sermon shouted in a collapsing temple.

There’s an intensity here that borders on ritual possession. The sound is suffocating, yet strangely calculated. Songs like “Raviasamin” and “Ashen Advocacy” shift from high-speed violence to oppressive, slower passages that pulse with tension. The title track “Ashspawn” captures the album’s spirit perfectly, unyielding, venomous, and uncomfortably human in its aggression. The production, handled by Menthor and mixed by Stefano Santi, keeps the atmosphere raw without descending into chaos. Every element serves the violence.

Lyrically, Enthroned maintains their fascination with the occult and metaphysical, written in collaboration with Gilles de Laval. It’s not fantasy but more like a philosophical descent into destruction and rebirth. Their words conjure an unsettling kind of transcendence, where spiritual disintegration becomes a form of creation. After three decades, Enthroned sounds neither nostalgic nor desperate to please anyone. “Ashspawn” is the sound of a band, cold, fierce, and deliberate. It’s an album made to endure the chaos, discipline the aggression, and justify the darkness..

Score: 7.8

Enthroned:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Frater.Silurian
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enthronedofficial/
Bandcamp: https://enthroned.bandcamp.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@enthronedofficial
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5lmT6zZl7aPNg8hv5UrJGz
Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/artist/enthroned/47713289
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/artist/14611
Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/artist/3604477

Hooded Menace | Lachrymose Monuments Of Obscuration | Season Of Mist

 

Release Date: 3 October 2025

Format: Digital, CD, LP

Genre: Death/Doom Metal

Country: Finland

For nearly twenty years, Hooded Menace has prowled the graveyards of death-doom like eternal sentinels. Formed in 2007 by guitarist and songwriter Lasse Pyykkö, the Finnish trio grew out of his teenage obsession with horror flicks, worn VHS covers, and the suffocating heaviness of the early doom and death metal underground. From the cult beginnings of “Tombs Of The Blind Dead” to the crushing “Never Cross The Dead” and later the gothic darkness of “Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed”, Hooded Menace has built a world of slow decay and haunted grandeur.

Their seventh album, “Lachrymose Monuments Of Obscuration”, arrives like a funeral procession crawling through thick fog. The guitars rumble with massive, sepulchral heaviness, but the production keeps everything vivid and alive. The first seconds of “Twilight Passages” open a portal into that cryptic world, where melody and menace share the same coffin. When “Pale Masquerade” unfolds, it’s pure Hooded Menace; ominous, dramatic, and soaked in horror imagery. Harri Kuokkanen’s vocals sound less like growls and more like a ghoul sermon, echoing through catacombs.

There’s a striking theatrical quality running through the whole album. “Portrait Without A Face” and “Daughters Of Lingering Pain” move with a dreadful beauty, the riffs shifting like shadows against a dying candle. The presence of cello and subtle keys deepens the atmosphere without stealing the heaviness. The production by Heikki Marttila gives space to every layer, and the mastering by Jaime Gomez Arellano adds depth to the cryptic gloom.

By the time “Lugubrious Dance” and “Into Haunted Oblivion” close the ritual, the band sounds like they’re resurrecting the ghosts of Cathedral and Candlemass through their own plague-ridden lens. There’s a thick, old-school metal pulse buried inside these songs that keeps the album from sinking into pure despair. The unexpected cover of Duran Duran’s “Save A Prayer” is exactly the kind of unholy trick Hooded Menace pull off with style, turning a pop classic into a hymn for the dead.

This is death/doom made with vision and soul. Hooded Menace doesn’t need to chase trends; they summon them to the grave instead. “Lachrymose Monuments Of Obscuration” is heavy in every sense, musically, atmospherically, spiritually. That’s is death/doom where riffs claw at your spine and the rhythm section moves like a slow-motion guillotine. Hooded Menace once again prove that horror and heaviness belong together when crafted with such force. The tomb remains open, and its echo is glorious.

Score: 8.5

Bandcamp: https://hoodedmenace.bandcamp.com/music

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hoodedmenaceofficial/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoodedmenaceofficial/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/10mjw8SFRZjS0d8tecdEW8

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/hooded-menace/364200709

Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/artist/3748981

Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/artist/4754969

Impureza | Alcázares | Season Of Mist

 

    Impureza is a Franco-Spanish metal band founded in 2004 by guitarist Lionel Cano Muñoz in Orléans, France. The band is known for its unique blend of death metal and flamenco, a style they call Hispanic Metal. Their sound merges traditional Spanish music, acoustic fretless bass, and flamenco guitar with brutal vocals and extreme metal intensity. Drawing inspiration from Iberian history, esoteric themes, and Latin culture, the band creates concept-driven music entirely in Spanish.

Over the years, Impureza gained attention through early demos, split releases, and performances with major bands like Gojira, Suffocation, and Cattle Decapitation. Their first full-length, "La Iglesia Del Odio," appeared in 2010, followed by the widely praised "La Caída De Tonatiuh" in 2017. After several lineup changes, vocalist Esteban Martín joined the band, bringing a fresh and aggressive vocal style that fit seamlessly with the band’s vision. Known for their historical and fictional storytelling rooted in Spanish conquest and resistance, Impureza has become a distinctive voice in the extreme metal world.

"Alcázares" continues Impureza's unique direction, mixing death metal with flamenco influences in a way that sounds fluid and vivid. The album runs for just under 50 minutes and contains 11 tracks. It presents a musical journey that feels cinematic and intense from the first moment, thanks to the layered approach of the band. The combination of metal and flamenco is well-thought-out and fully integrated, with the flamenco parts carrying equal weight to the heavier sections.

The vocals by Esteban Martín add a strong presence, and his delivery in Spanish gives the music an identity that goes beyond language. The phrasing fits perfectly into the rhythms and melodies, and it gives the music a natural tone that avoids sounding forced. The Spanish language suits death metal more than traditional heavy metal in this context—it blends well with the intensity and speed of the instrumentation.

After the “Verdiales” flamenco-inspired intro, strikes "Bajo Las Tizonas De Toledo," which takes the world by storm with its chorus that oddly resembles Madonna’s “Music”—not just in melody but in rhythm and spacing. The pace of the album is dynamic. Some sections are extremely fast, with brutal blast beats and shredding guitars, while others slow down into acoustic flamenco interludes or melodic choral passages. These shifts are frequent, often within the same track, and the transitions feel smooth. The rhythms are complex but not confusing, which makes the music engaging without sounding chaotic. The percussion and fretless bass work together to build a rhythmic base that feels alive. Some arrangements even include orchestral layers, provided by guest musician Louis Viallet, which add another dimension to the atmosphere.

The production by Sébastien Camhi and mastering by Jacob Hansen support the multidimensional sound. Each instrument can be heard clearly, and the mix balances the acoustic and electric parts. The flamenco guitar, handled by Lionel Cano Muñoz, is central to the album’s identity and is used throughout—not just in intros or outros. Percussion by Xavier Hamon adds traditional Spanish texture that merges well with the heavier drumming.

Visually, the album cover by Johann Bodin and Xavier Ribeiro reflects the themes of the music—historic, dramatic, and mystical. The art shows a ruined courtyard and ghostly knights rising from the grave, fitting well with the lyrical focus on conquest, resistance, and memory.

"Alcázares" is an immersive listen. It doesn’t follow a single formula and keeps changing shape, switching from aggression to grace without losing focus. The album is deeply rooted in Spanish history and sound, but it speaks fluently in the language of extreme metal. For fans of Nile, Hate Eternal, Behemoth, or Fleshgod Apocalypse, "Alcázares" is essential listening. After Brujeria I enjoyed a Hispanic album so much.

Score: 8.5

Cryptopsy | An Insatiable Violence | Season Of Mist

 

 More than three decades after first emerging from Montreal’s death metal underground, Cryptopsy returns with "An Insatiable Violence", their ninth full-length and a direct continuation of their sharpened post-pandemic focus. The band, long defined by technical proficiency and speed, delivers one of their tightest and most concentrated albums to date—just 21 months after "As Gomorrah Burns", which marked a revitalized era for the group.

The production, handled by guitarist Christian Donaldson, is dense and punishing but leaves room for every part to strike with precision. Flo Mounier’s drumming remains relentless, mixing speed and subtle variations in attack that make each track distinct in pacing. His playing on this album is among his most intense, even incorporating gravity blasts more frequently—something rarely heard even in Cryptopsy’s catalog.

Matt McGachy pushes his vocals further than before, reaching deeper registers and more layered phrasing. His voice maintains clarity even during the densest moments, blending false chord growls and piercing shrieks with control. The addition of Mike DiSalvo on “Embrace The Nihility” is a sharp nod to the band's past without relying on nostalgia; it fits seamlessly into the album’s momentum.

Bass duties from Olivier Pinard add constant weight, especially in low-end heavy passages like “Fools Last Acclaim”, where his tone anchors the track while matching the tempo and intricacy of Mounier’s drums. Donaldson’s riffs across the album are jagged and tightly wound, switching between angular attacks and restrained mid-tempo sections that allow temporary reprieves before launching into the next burst of violence.

Lyrically, "An Insatiable Violence" is bleak and allegorical, drawing from grotesque modern realities like algorithm-driven self-destruction, internet overconsumption, and the mechanical cycles of digital existence. The concept, initiated by McGachy’s 2023 dream, unfolds abstractly through the songs without overt narratives, adding a surreal and disturbed psychological undercurrent.

Despite its speed and aggression, the album is not monotonous. Tracks like “Malicious Needs” and “The Art Of Emptiness” incorporate grooves and slight structural variance that prevent fatigue over the concise 33-minute runtime. There is no unnecessary filler or indulgence; everything is pushed to the edge of efficiency. "An Insatiable Violence" is compact, violent, rhythmically punishing, and crafted with purpose. It finds Cryptopsy operating with discipline and urgency, reaffirming their place among modern death metal’s most technically ferocious bands.

Score: 8.6

Gaahls Wyrd | Braiding The Stories | Season Of Mist

 

Gaahls Wyrd emerged in the wake of frontman Gaahl's departure from God Seed, bringing together his vision under a banner both tethered to black metal tradition and restlessly experimental. Formed in Norway in 2015, the band’s nucleus comprises Gaahl (vocals), Lust Kilman (guitar), Spektre (drums), and Nekroman (bass), all veterans of Norway’s diverse extreme music ecosystem. Their 2019 debut, "GastiR – Ghosts Invited," introduced their penchant for slow-burning ritualism, while the 2021 mini-album "The Humming Mountain" expanded on that with atmospheric breadth. Over time, Gaahls Wyrd have distanced themselves from genre conventions, presenting a spectral world that fuses elements of metal, ambient, gothic rock, and introspective songwriting into a deeply personal tapestry of sound and concept.

"Braiding The Stories" is the band’s most abstract and enveloping work to date. From the first flicker of "The Dream" to the twilight drift of "Flowing Starlight", Gaahls Wyrd shapes a meditative sonic landscape where form often dissolves into mood and voice becomes less a delivery system for lyrics than an instrument of presence and atmosphere.

There is a fluidity throughout the album that leans into a dream logic, as mentioned by Gaahl himself. Tracks do not explode or resolve as much as they evolve in subtle undulations, rising and falling like currents in a metaphysical tide. The instrumentation—guided by Lust Kilman—avoids overstatement. Guitars shimmer, pulse, and spiral with a distinctly ‘80s/‘90s gothic rock influence but never stay long enough in any one place to pin them down. His solos drift like memory fragments, sometimes untethered and at other times woven directly into the emotional architecture of the song.

Spektre and Nekroman offer support that feels deeply embedded in the album’s core energy, more concerned with sustaining emotional and rhythmic tension than asserting heaviness or aggression. The presence of interludes ("Voices In My Head," "Through The Veil") further blurs the lines between traditional track sequencing and cinematic movement.

Gaahl, ever the enigmatic figure, exercises remarkable vocal control throughout the album. He employs his range in service of the atmosphere rather than assertion—crooning, speaking, whispering, and chanting—allowing the lyrics to dissolve into the instrumentation or cut through it with deliberate, haunting phrasing. His approach feels less like performance and more like invocation. The lyrical content, shaped around subconscious states and dream transitions, plays perfectly into this.

The production, overseen again by Iver Sandøy, is immersive. The choices made in mix and dynamics create a breathing sonic environment where silence is just as vital as sound. The spaces between notes and rhythms carry as much emotional weight as the climaxes. Rather than aiming for immediacy or force, the mix invites prolonged listening. The album's flow is uninterrupted; its sequence is constructed not for individual song impact, but for total, uninterrupted immersion.

"Braiding The Stories" moves away from the tactile aggression of black metal and instead gestures toward an inward, spectral terrain. It is neither bound by tradition nor obsessed with disavowing it—it simply refuses categorization altogether. It is quiet yet expansive, solemn yet luminous. Rather than dramatizing emotion, it reflects it.

Score: 8.2

...And Oceans | The Regeneration Itinerary | Season Of Mist

 

 …And Oceans emerged from the Finnish extreme metal underground in 1995, following the dissolution of Festerday, evolving swiftly from their initial symphonic black metal foundation into a highly mutable and sonically expansive entity. From their formative years—marked by albums like "The Dynamic Gallery Of Thoughts" and "The Symmetry Of I: The Circle Of O"—the band pursued a philosophy of transformation, embracing avant-garde industrial, classical, and cyber-metal textures as early as their boundary-pushing early-2000s releases "A.M.G.O.D." and "Cypher." With Kena Strömsholm at the helm during those formative years, the group immersed itself in mechanized rhythms and synthetic atmospheres, eventually morphing into Havoc Unit before returning to their original identity.

Since their 2017 resurgence, with Mathias Lillmåns on vocals and Timo Kontio and Teemu Saari on guitars, …And Oceans has reestablished their sonic complexity with albums like "Cosmic World Mother" and "As In Gardens, So In Tombs." Their renewed vision balances fierce black metal aggression with ornate electronic flourishes and a persistent undercurrent of Finnish melancholia, driven forward by Antti Simonen’s keyboards and the rhythmic force of Pyry Hanski (bass) and Kauko Kuusisalo (drums).

"The Regeneration Itinerary" stands as an intricate constellation within …And Oceans’ expansive discography. Each track acts as a nodal point in a sprawling sound map, constructed through layers of orchestration, dense guitar textures, and rhythmic complexity. The album maintains a tightly woven equilibrium between structure and flux, with the band operating as a singular organism despite the high level of compositional variance.

The opening piece, "Inertiae," initiates the experience with kinetic urgency—threads of symphonic ambience entangled in frantic riff-work and processed synth pulses. The dual-guitar foundation of Kontio and Saari sets a finely meshed framework that alternates between grandeur and aggression without drawing too much attention to either side. Throughout the album, the guitar work does not compete with the keys but dances with them—sometimes sparring, sometimes fusing.

Keyboardist Antti Simonen continues to serve as the band's core architect of atmosphere. His arrangements do not seek to dominate or embellish but rather entangle the listener in a network of movements—looping, mutating, occasionally disorienting but always forward-driving. "Chromium Lungs, Bronze Optics" and "The Form And The Formless" offer the clearest examples of this magnetic interplay, where trance-like momentum meets metallic rigidity.

Mathias Lillmåns' vocals exhibit heightened abrasiveness compared to previous work. There’s a serrated edge here that aligns with the more volatile segments of the album, especially on "Prophetical Mercury Implement" and "The Fire In Which We Burn." His rasp feels chemically fused with the dissonant currents running through these tracks. It’s not a performance that seeks theatricality—it’s scorched and dry, functioning more like instrumentation than character delivery.

Despite its arcane aura and hallucinatory structures, the album adheres to its conceptual alignment of duality—suggested but not imposed. The listener is presented with fractured contrasts: silence and chaos, synthetic and organic, and decay and expansion. "I Am Coin, I Am Two" and "Towards The Absence Of Light" subtly illustrate this tension, where fragmented rhythm patterns, sudden harmonic detours, and unorthodox layering collide and reform.

The final track, "The Terminal Filter", closes the itinerary with what feels like a slow, reverse implosion. It doesn't seek finality or dramatic resolution, instead fading into tonal ambiguity, underscoring the refusal of the band to offer a singular conclusion. The album does not build toward a climax, nor does it collapse under its own conceptual weight. It merely continues its motion, stopping only because it chooses to—not because it must.

Score: 8.5